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Minneapolis, spotlighting a key resource for growers across Minnesota: University of Minnesota Extension.

Spotlighting Project Sweetie Pie. A North Minneapolis organization turning gardens into community power.

St. Paul, meet Frogtown Farm. An urban farm that grows food and grows community right in Frogtown.

Minneapolis, spotlighting an organization that helps local food actually move.

Meet the Twin Cities Metro Growers Network (TCMG).
@umnextension.bsky.social

St. Paul, next up in our Twin Cities Community Garden Spotlights: Como Community Garden in Como Park sponsored by the District 10 Como Community Council.

Raised beds, big heart.

New series alert: Twin Cities Community Garden Spotlights 🌱

First up: Homegrown Minneapolis, the City initiative helping more neighbors grow, share, and access good food. @minneapolismn.gov

Happy New Year Everyone!!! 🥳

Growing Mushrooms In Coffee Grounds Here's our in depth guide to growing mushrooms in coffee grounds. We've been growing mushrooms on coffee grounds since 2011 making use of this incredible waste resource...

Did you know you can grow gourmet mushrooms on used coffee grounds? One urban farm in the UK recycled 75,000 kg of coffee waste to grow 20,000 kg of oyster mushrooms. Now that’s some amazing trash-to-treasure farming! ☕🍄

Source: grocycle.com/growing-mush...

Happy Holidays! ✨💚

May your days be filled with laughter, your nights feel cozy, and your new year bring plenty of wonderful surprises. 🎁🎉

Did you know? On average, food travels ~1,500 miles from farm to plate. When you grow or swap locally, your produce travels just down the street. Fresher food, less fuel, smaller footprint. Sharing homegrown food in the city just makes sense!

Giving homegrown gifts this season? If you have extra jars of jam, pickles, dried herbs, or other goodies from your garden, share them with friends and neighbors. A jar of homemade jam can be one of the warmest gifts. Spread a bit of your garden’s bounty and holiday cheer in the community this year.

Dreaming of a greener 2026? Plentifully is on the way. Join our early access waitlist www.plentifully.co/join-us/ to be among the first to try our MVP. You’ll be able to connect with fellow urban gardeners, swap harvests, and help shape this sharing community from the ground up. Let’s grow together!

Did you know home gardeners collectively waste about 11.5 billion pounds of produce each year? That’s a mountain of excess food. If that surplus were shared instead of tossed, it could feed an estimated 28 million people! Let’s share our bounty.

Source: ampleharvest.org/2016-nationw...

Did you know over 18 million Americans live in “food desert” areas without easy access to fresh produce? It’s a stark reality.

The good news: community gardens and farmers markets are cropping up to turn these deserts into oases of healthy food.

Source: www.escoffier.edu/blog/world-f...

Your garden might be 😴, but you can still put the off-season to good use by giving your tools some love. Take time to scrub off any dirt or rust, sharpen those pruners and shovels, and oil the metal parts. A little winter tool care means easier gardening and longer-lasting tools for you by Spring.

Safety and trust are the foundation of any community. That’s why Plentifully will include a reputation system where users will earn ratings or badges for being reliable and helpful. When you connect, you’ll have an extra layer of confidence. After all, a sharing community runs on trust.

Did you know the average American tosses 325 pounds of food each year? That's like dumping 975 apples per person into the trash! Instead of feeding landfills, we could compost those scraps or share the extras, turning garbage into garden gold rather than waste.

Source: www.rts.com/resources/gu...

Cold outside? It’s the perfect time to plan next year’s garden. Curl up with some seed catalogs or gardening websites and start a wish list. Plan with friends or neighbors by growing different crops and then swap for more variety. Plan now and look forward to sharing a bountiful harvest later!

Did you know? City bees make more honey than country bees. Urban beehives produce about 56% more honey (and even have higher survival rates) than their rural cousins. Turns out our urban pollinator pals love the diverse buffet of city blooms! 🐝🍯

Source: bestbees.com/urban-beekee...

Winter is a great time to learn. What’s one gardening book, blog, or resource that really helped you? Share your go-to. If you need a starting point, “Square Foot Gardening” by Mel Bartholomew is a clear, practical guide for small-space gardens.

Did you know? City farms can be shockingly productive.

Urban plots can grow up to 4× more food per square foot than traditional farms. Turns out the concrete jungle can out-garden the countryside!

Source: www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2022/08/can-...

Person pouring water on green plant on indoor hydroponics.

Missing your garden as winter sets in? Here’s a thought: try a simple indoor hydroponics project. You can grow herbs or lettuce without soil, just water, a few nutrients, and a sunny spot. It’s easier than it sounds, and you’ll be harvesting fresh greens from your countertop all winter long. 🌿

Urban homesteading is not about owning 20 acres. It is windowsill herbs, shared tools, and neighbors who swap instead of shop.

Here are 5 simple steps to start and how Plentifully helps you build a local swap network.

Read more: www.plentifully.co/blogs/urban-...

Did you know? Instead of letting fruit fall and rot, urban gleaners are rescuing tons of produce. In LA, one nonprofit has recovered over 250 million pounds of fresh fruits and veggies from backyards and markets since 2009, all donated to feed people in need. 🍊🤝
Source: foodforward.org/250m-release/

Let’s talk cooking! 🍲 What’s your favorite dish to make with your homegrown produce? Maybe a fresh salsa from garden tomatoes, a basil pesto, or spicy pickled peppers? How do you turn your harvest into delicious meals? Share your go-to recipe!

#Homegrown

Did you know? Urban farming is a global movement. 800 million people worldwide grow food in cities, producing roughly 15–20% of the world’s food supply. From rooftop tomatoes in New York to backyard orchards in Nairobi, urban growers are feeding their communities!
Source: trellis.net/article/urba...

Save seeds from your plants before winter. Dry them out, label them, and store in a cool, dry place (ex. tomato, pepper, or squash seeds in paper envelopes). By spring you’ll have free seeds to plant or share, carrying this year’s successes into the next. Seed saving keeps the cycle going strong.

We’re building Plentifully and can’t wait to share it with you! If you’re excited to connect with other urban farmers and swap or share your harvests, join our early access: plentifully.co/join-us/ Be the first to try the beta to help shape our community. Let’s grow together!

Did you know? One out of every three bites of food you eat is thanks to pollinators 🐝🦋🦇. Bees and friends pollinate 35% of the world’s crops from apples to chocolate, essentially making a third of our food. We owe every third lunch to some busy bees! 🍏🍫

Source: www.pollinator.org/pollinated-f...